A federal prisoner rights advocate is stepping down from his position two years ahead of schedule, citing frustration with the government’s lack of action on systemic human rights problems.
“I depart with significant frustrations,” stated Dr. Ivan Zinger, the correctional investigator for Canada, during the presentation of an annual report centered on mental health on Wednesday.
“Had the agency under my oversight been more responsive, I might have chosen to stay for an additional two years,” he remarked.
Zinger contends that the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), which oversees federal prisons, along with its political leaders, will not be able to enhance mental health services for inmates unless they modify their current methods.
“I hope there would be greater acknowledgment from the public safety minister regarding the existing issues,” Zinger expressed on Wednesday.
“I also wish the commissioner of corrections would show more transparency in recognizing that challenges exist and that concrete measures are necessary to tackle these issues.”
Zinger warned that if his office’s recommendations continue to be “dismissed and overlooked,” it could lead to the matters surfacing again in legal settings against the federal government.
Inadequate reforms and service delivery
In his final annual report before his departure in January, Zinger’s office utilized the 162-page document to highlight the outcomes of the six investigations conducted over the past year regarding the provision of mental health care in federal prisons.
The investigations uncovered deficiencies in certain aspects of mental health service delivery, particularly for women and elderly inmates, while also revealing broader issues present throughout the federal prison system. These concerns include:
- Outdated or absent policies that impede treatment.
- Lack of adequate training for staff interacting with inmates suffering from mental health problems.
- Insufficient mental health screening processes for inmates.
- Inconsistent or non-existent post-release programs to support individuals after incarceration.
- A focus on security protocols, such as the use of force, over therapeutic approaches.
The report also evaluated five regional treatment centers (RTCs), which serve as psychiatric hospitals for federal inmates, and concluded that they are not adequately equipped to fulfill their intended purpose.
“Our recent findings indicate that RTCs function more as intermediate and geriatric care facilities, lacking sufficient emergency mental health capabilities for acute situations,” the report stated.
Dismissal of recommendations
The report advocates for individuals with long-term psychiatric needs to be transferred to hospitals outside the prison system, where specialized treatment can be provided.
This recommendation is the first of 21 action calls listed in the report but has been firmly rejected by the Correctional Service of Canada.
In a response included in the report, the CSC stated that transferring patients to community hospitals is not advisable as these facilities often cannot accommodate “federal inmates with complex mental health and security requirements.”
The agency further claimed that to ensure “essential health services for inmates,” it is necessary to “maintain a critical capacity for inpatient psychiatric care in RTCs” by keeping them operational.
The investigator challenges this perspective.
“It is evident that CSC is fundamentally unprepared to provide long-term mental health care for individuals with serious mental illnesses, including those facing acute psychiatric crises, suicidal thoughts, and chronic self-harm,” the report asserts.
Zinger’s report also urged the federal government to reconsider its decision to allocate $1.3 billion for a new inmate hospital in New Brunswick, deeming the project “a significant misallocation of resources.”
The report suggests that rather than investing in another “in-house facility,” the CSC should instead direct those funds toward collaborations with local hospitals by financing additional beds and staffing.
“The $1.3 billion set aside could sustain such a model for many years,” Zinger stated in the report. “I implore the government to reassess its plans.”
Public Safety Canada rejected this recommendation as well, asserting that the new bilingual facility will effectively tackle mental health treatment issues while establishing a new benchmark for mental health service delivery within federal corrections.
Zinger calls for court-enforced reforms
Public Safety also mentioned that in 2024, the CSC contacted 11 external hospitals in search of partnerships similar to those Zinger suggested, with only one hospital showing interest in discussions.
Zinger commented on Wednesday in Ottawa that the difficulty in establishing partnerships stems from the CSC presenting proposals with “conditions that make collaboration unfeasible.”
While most of the remaining 19 recommendations have been accepted, either fully or partially, by the CSC, Zinger remains skeptical that any significant changes will occur.
In his introductory remarks to the report, he noted that many recommendations from his office over the years have been “frequently ignored or dismissed,” and “successive ministers” have hesitated to urge the CSC to take action.
Despite feeling frustrated by the lack of meaningful reforms from the federal government, Zinger stated he is leaving his role without regrets.
“I am content with what I have achieved,” he remarked. “Lawyers across the nation are utilizing our reports in individual cases, litigation, and class-action lawsuits, ultimately compelling the service to comply when there is a clear violation of human rights.”
Holding his final report, Zinger expressed concern that it will “unfortunately” lead to legal actions that may force the federal government to fulfill its legal obligations to federal inmates.